Woo, S B, Schacterle, R S, Komaroff, A L et al. · Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics · 2000 · DOI
Researchers examined tiny salivary glands in the lips of 11 ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy controls. They found that ME/CFS patients had various changes in these glands, including swelling, scarring, and immune cell infiltration. Most notably, ME/CFS patients had significantly more mast cells (immune cells) in their salivary glands than controls, suggesting these glands may be damaged in ME/CFS.
This study provides preliminary histologic evidence of objective pathology in ME/CFS, potentially supporting the biological basis of the disease rather than purely functional causes. The identification of increased mast cell infiltration may point toward an immune or inflammatory mechanism in ME/CFS, which could guide future diagnostic and therapeutic research.
This study does not prove that salivary gland changes cause ME/CFS symptoms or that they are specific to ME/CFS rather than found in other conditions. The small sample size and preliminary nature mean findings require confirmation in larger, well-controlled studies before clinical application. Histologic changes do not establish whether they contribute to fatigue or other ME/CFS symptoms.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Woo, S B, Schacterle, R S, Komaroff, A L, & Gallagher, G T (2000). Salivary gland changes in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-controlled preliminary histologic study.. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics. https://doi.org/10.1067/moe.2000.107363
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-woo-2000-salivary-gland,
author = {Woo, S B and Schacterle, R S and Komaroff, A L and Gallagher, G T},
title = {Salivary gland changes in chronic fatigue syndrome: a case-controlled preliminary histologic study.},
journal = {Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1067/moe.2000.107363},
note = {PubMed: 10884641},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/woo-2000-salivary-gland},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/woo-2000-salivary-gland
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